Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2!

Kali is back in Stranger Things season 5, and Volume 2 provided key information surrounding Dr. Kay and why she had her sights set on Martin Brenner’s former test subjects. Throughout Volume 1, Dr. Kay was determined to find Eleven, and she nearly got a chance when El and Hopper broke into the military base in the Upside Down.

Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1’s ending was full of many surprises, but one of the main shocks came in the form of Kali and El’s reunion. Kali’s official Stranger Things return had been theorized for quite some time. That said, it would have been nearly impossible to fully predict her fate and what Dr. Kay was actually doing with her at the base.

Vecna remains the primary villain of Stranger Things, but Linda Hamilton’s role among the Stranger Things season 5 cast has provided the show with a secondary antagonist. While Dr. Kay will still factor into the final Stranger Things episode, the series has at least confirmed the significance of the character and what her true intentions are.

Why Kali Was Being Held At The Military’s Upside Down Base

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Once Kali escaped from the military base with Eleven and Hopper, she filled in her “sister” about how she got captured by Dr. Kay’s team. Not only did they shave her head and restrain her to continuously take her blood, but they also killed her friends before taking her to the Upside Down. Despite being extremely weak, Kali nearly escaped from the base.

Kali pretended as if her body was failing so that the doctors would remove her from the restraints. She then attacked the military personnel, whether they were doctors or armed soldiers. While looking for an exit, Kali discovered what Dr. Kay was really doing with her and her blood. Before she could do anything with that information, she was recaptured and held hostage until Hopper and El found her on the other side of the vaulted door.

It’s unclear exactly how long Kali was being held by Dr. Kay and the military, but we now know why she was initially so relieved to reunite with El in that moment. She admitted that she didn’t even know Henry was still alive. In theory, having another superpowered figure on their side would be an advantage against Vecna. However, Kali revealed her concern regarding El’s future after figuring out Dr. Kay’s true motivations.

What Dr. Kay Is Doing With The Pregnant Women – Is She Restarting Dr. Brenner’s Program?

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In her escape attempt, Kali found rooms upon rooms of pregnant women being held at the base. The women, who were all far along with their pregnancies, were all getting blood transfusions, but it wasn’t just any blood; it was Kali’s blood. Whatever Dr. Kay was hoping for wasn’t working, considering all the women were barely conscious, with Kali describing to El that they were “dying.”

Dr. Kay has essentially taken up Dr. Brenner’s Project Indigo work, which was created to replicate Henry’s abilities with new test subjects. As confirmed by Henry’s backstory in Stranger Things, Dr. Brenner gave pregnant women transfusions of Henry’s blood in the hope that the unborn children would go on to develop his same powers. Based on what happened with Eleven and Henry after the Rainbow Room massacre, Dr. Brenner realized his program was a success.

Unable to get a hold of Eleven, Dr. Kay went to the only other living test subject aside from Henry: Kali, aka Eight. Like Brenner, Dr. Kay needed the blood of a former test subject to use on the pregnant women to create new “weapons.” As Kali confirmed, the only way to truly create someone as powerful as Henry would be through Eleven.

Why Dr. Kay Needs Eleven’s Blood For Her Plan To Work

Out of all the test subjects in Project Indigo, Eleven emerged as the person whose powers could reach the levels of Henry. Therefore, for Dr. Kay to successfully revive Project Indigo, the military would need El’s blood to transfuse into the pregnant women. Kali revealed that truth to Eleven after their escape from the base, which further explained why Dr. Kay and the military didn’t give up on their search for Eleven after all this time.

Seeing as Eleven’s telekinesis stemmed from the transfusion of Henry’s blood into El’s mother, Terry Ives, Dr. Kay planned to treat El as her version of Henry. While the military could go after Henry, that would mean going up against Vecna again, which didn’t go too well in Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1’s ending. This also explained why Dr. Kay wouldn’t allow the military to harm Eleven if they located her.

Why Kali Doesn’t Think Eleven Can Live A Normal Life (Even If They Kill Henry)

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In addition to sharing everything she experienced under the control of the military, Kali also stated that she didn’t think the cycle would ever end. Eleven countered that they would kill Henry and Dr. Kay, but Kali worried that there will always be more people like Dr. Brenner and Dr. Kay, who would want to exploit Eleven and her powers.

El had still been dreaming that the group could go on to find normalcy after defeating Vecna, even if that meant leaving Hawkins to start a new life with Mike. Kali basically crushed that dream by arguing that Eleven will never be truly safe out in the world as long as she has her powers. In fact, just before Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2’s ending sequence, Kali proposed that she and Eleven stay in the Upside Down to sacrifice themselves.

Sadly, Kali might be right in that Eleven would never be able to live a normal life. Even if she killed Vecna, Dr. Kay, and the military in Hawkins, it’s impossible to know how many people knew about her existence and the lengths they would go to in order to find her. Until all of Dr. Brenner’s test subjects are dead, the cycle may never stop in Stranger Things.

Volumes 1 and 2 of Stranger Things season 5 are now available on Netflix. The series finale releases on December 31, 2025!